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Wedding Cakes Tips

Choosing the Perfect Wedding Cake

1. Ask Around

Begin your search for a cake designer about three to six months
before the wedding-even sooner if you want an in-demand pro.
Some bakers' schedules start filling up about a year in
advance.

Where do you begin your search? Word of mouth is the most
powerful tool, says Jan Kish of La Petite Fleur, in Columbus, Ohio.
Ask recently married friends and family members for their
recommendations. Many caterers, reception sites, photographers and
florists have favorite bakers.

2. Narrow the Search

Most cake designers showcase confections they've created on
their websites; you can also get an idea of whether you'll like
their work from a phone conversation. Ask how they would define
their style. Is it traditional, simply elegant, modern, whimsical,
intricate? Don't forget to ask to ask for an estimated price range
per guest. Then, "Interview two to three bakers," advises Ron
Ben-Israel of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, in New York, NY, and star of
the Food Network's "Sweet Genius."

In your initial meeting, look through a portfolio of the cake
designer's work, and double-check that the details you know you
want-say, intricate sugar flowers-are part of his or her body of
work. If not, does he show versatility and an experimental spirit?
Does she have the resources and background to do what want? Some
small bakeries may not have the manpower or know-how to create the
grand, geometrical structures in which others specialize.

Also, be sure to taste the samples of the baker's work. "The
flavor of the cake should be as good as any dessert you'd serve to
guests, says Narcisa Vieira-Castillo of Cakes Unique, in Falls
Church, Virginia. Do not comprimise taste for the look of the
cake.

The major deciding factor? "A good personal connection is very
important" says Ben-Israel. "You must be able to trust the person."
The ideal cake designer is someone whose personality sets you at
ease and with whom you communicate well.

3. Keep Talking

After you've booked your cake designer, you will begin to create
the cake. Share with your pro photos of cakes from magazines that
have caught your eye. Provide the baker with as much information
about your wedding as you can: the location, the level of
formality, your dress, the colors, the flowers, the menu. You can
even bring in your invitations to show your pro-they may inspire
her. "The whole idea is to costomize the look of the cake," says
Ben-Israel. "I often work with a swatch of the bride's dress, to
replicate the lace."

During this process, taste four or five cake-and-filling
combinations, to find your favorite. "Some flavors, like mango, are
suitable for certain seasons like summer," says Vieira-Castillo.
"Others, like white chocolate with raspberry, are year-round
favories."

Price will be based on the size of the cake, the amount of labor
needed to create it and the cost of its ingredients. More
experienced or reputable pros are usually pricier.

4. Put it in Writing

To ensure you get exactly what you want, check that all the
details, including the date, place and time of the wedding, plus
the style and flavors of the cake, are in your contract with the
designer. Your baker sould update the contract anytime you change
your mind, and as you choose further details. Whether it's with a
written description or a sketch, it should be clear exactly how
your cake will look on the wedding day.

Tasty Details

"Brides and grooms are no longer afraid of color on cakes. Apple
green, orange, hot pink and deep, orangy browns are popular
choices. Color is also a great way to convey the season, along with
sugar icicles, pine cones, flowers and fruit."-Jan Kish